His Unknown Past
by mrscohenplease
Summary: What was Sandy's life before he moved to California. Why did Rebecca remind him of who he once was.
1. The Rebecca Meet-Cute

**Author Notes:** This is my very first Fanfiction story. So I hope you like it. I never really felt like the show went into detail about Sandy's life before Berkeley. This idea came to me and I hope others like it. This is set in Season 2.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _The O.C. _All rights belong to Josh Schwartz and Fox.

Sandy and Kirsten lied in their bed side by side. Hands to themselves as both stared at the ceiling and not at each other. Both lost in their own thoughts.

Sandy still knew how upset and heartbroken Kirsten had been with the Rebecca situation. He felt so bad for making her feel this way. How could she possibly think he would cheat on her? He loved her; didn't she know that would never change? He sighed. How was he ever going to explain to Kirsten why he had to help Rebecca? Kirsten had guessed correctly; Rebecca reminded him of whom he uses to be. An 18 year old Jewish, New York boy, when all he wanted was to leave his past behind and forget his life in the Bronx. When after being married for 20 years, Sandy never told Kirsten about his past. Maybe that's why he couldn't tell her why he helped Rebecca. She would eventually find out the truth of Sandy's childhood.

_Sandy stood outside of Rebecca's house. Waiting to pick her up for their date. He remembered back to when he met her. While Sandy was on his way out of Professor Black's lecture hall, he noticed a tall black hair curvy girl wait across the hall. Sandy stop in his tracks, who was that girl? The girl looked up from her book and saw Sandy staring at her. She smiled big and walked across the hall to meet him._

'_Hey, is that class over?' She asked him. He was catch off guard by her question_

'_Uhh.. Yeah. We just let out'_

'_Thank God!' She exclaimed. 'I have been waiting out here forever'_

'_Professor Black usually lectures for a while. He often goes over the time, but I don't mind. He's such a great teacher. So inspiring.'_

'_I know.' She said flatly 'He's my dad.' Sandy looked at her and smiled. He thought she was really pretty. 'I'm Rebecca by the way'_

'_Sandy' She reached into her purse and pulled out a Sharpie and grabbed his hand. Sandy watched as she wrote seven digits on his hand. He laughed._

'_Is that a fake number?' She smiled_

'_You'll have to call and find out' She walked into the lecture hall and disappeared._

Short I know, but I just wanted to see if any one liked where this was heading. I hope to incorporate a few more chapter. Please leave me comments and reviews I would love to hear from you. I will post next chapter soon!


	2. The Secret Life of Sanford Cohen

So excited for this chapter, hope you all enjoy. Once again I don't own the O.C. Props to Josh and Fox. My own idea is Daniel, Ezra, Ariel and Sandy's life in the Bronx. Please Review and PM me.

Sandy turned over towards Kirsten as the memory of Rebecca invaded his thoughts. Everything with Rebecca went so smoothly. Her father already loved him, they were into the same things, and both came from the same background. Rebecca's mother died at a young age. Rebecca and her father, Max lived in a small apartment outside of Berkeley and Max give up his time consuming law career to provide for Rebecca and be there for her. Rebecca was the first woman Sandy had felt real feeling for and actually cared about. That's why she was important, she was the person who changed him to be the person Kirsten loved. At least he hoped she still did.

'Kirsten' he whispered. Hating the tension and silence between them.

'Save it Sandy' she slowly snapped.

'I have to get this off my chest' He started

'I would really rather not hear you tell me how much you love her. I don't need to hear you tell me your going to leave me for her.' She jumped out of the bed and headed for the closet. Her voice broke as she spoken and she was on the verge of tears. Sandy got out of the bed and stepped in her path of the closet.

'Baby, you've got it all wrong'

"I do!' She practically yelled. 'What don't I know. All you do is leave me and I know you just go to her. So what don't I understand? What have I mistaken' She didn't hold back her tears as she cried. She tried to walk pass Sandy but he just grabbed her arm and pulled her towards his body. She tried fighting him off but he won't let go. She gave up the fight and let her tears pour into his pajama shirt.

'Kirsten, please just sit down. And let me tell you the truth'.

Kirsten noticed the serious tone he used. The look in his eyes was one she had never seen before. They sat next to each other on the bed and she could feel his body tense up. She knew he was going to say something painful, as he looked like he was in pain thinking about it. For a split second, Kirsten forgot about being mad at him. All she knew was the something in him was on the verge of snapping.

'I own Max for a reason. Max was more to me then my inspirational law teacher. He was my savior. He walked through the gates of hell and gave me the pass to heaven. And Rebecca… was the first fresh face I saw in the new light.'

'Sandy what are you talking about?'

'A lot happen to me before I moved to California. I have never told you much about my childhood and there is a reason for that. I didn't think I'd ever have to tell you. I am so scared that you will leave me, when you realize where I truly came from. Kirsten I can't tell you why Rebecca was important if I can't tell you who I was. And I don't know how to say it. But I can't lose you over it.'

He sighed as he was holding back tears. Kirsten gasped at what her saw before her. What was so bad? Kirsten had always wondered why Sandy was vague about his life before college. He knew all about her family, they spend more time with her family and lived in the same zip code as her family. Guilt went through her body as she felt like a horrible wife. She felt as if she didn't know her husband at all.

'I love you. Okay but I need to know what's going on. What don't you want to tell me.'

Sandy looked away from her and was silent for a few moments. Kirsten reached for his hand putting her own anger towards him aside. Something was truly wrong and she couldn't bare to watch Sandy suffer privately in his thoughts. They told each other everything, how could she be so selfish and naïve to think nothing happen when he was a kid. That he just didn't want to dwell in the past.

'My father…' He said barely loud enough to be heard. He squeezed her hand almost reassuring himself that she wasn't leaving.

'My father's name was Daniel Cohen. And he walked out on my family when I was 13. My mom kicked him out once she found out he was physically abusing my brother and I. My father made me feel weak and helpless, I couldn't protect myself and it was as if I had no voice. My younger sister Ariel grew up without him and my older brother Ezra took it so hard. After my father left he spiraled into the path of drugs and it took over. I remember him telling me that I needed to toughen up if I wanted to survive in high school. I probably would have gotten killed if I didn't.

That summer he taught me how to fight. It was brutal. He would teach me a few moves and then he'd put his friends up against me. Each night I'd come home with black eyes and bruised limbs. But soon I was just as tough as them. The most important thing he told me was to get the hell out of the Bronx. He told me to work my ass off academically, without anyone finding out of course and move as far away as possible. In the Bronx if you didn't want a broken rib and a black eye, you gave it to someone else. If you didn't want to be called a pussy, you slept with your best friends girl. It didn't matter who I hit, who hit me or whom I slept with. So I played varsity basketball, threw a punch at anyone without thinking twice, adopted the nickname 'Cohen' to sound tougher and slept with most of the girls in my school. Because that was the Bronx and you didn't get the choice.'

He took a breath and looked over at Kirsten. She flinched at that last comment, _slept with most girls in my school_. But she smiled at him to comfort and encouraged him to continue. She had to remind her self, it wasn't Newport _that was the Bronx._

'My senior year, I was over at the library that I studied at which was an hour away from my house. It was the only way I knew no one could find me. Max sat across from me at my usual table. When he put his stuff down. I saw a UC Berkeley folder fall out. On the front was a picture of the campus. I glared at it in awe as it looked like paradise. He caught me looking at it.

'_You interest in Berkeley son?' I gave him a solid stare. _

'_Where is it?'_

'_California, one of the best in the country!'_

'_I don't know… I'm not college material.'_

'_What is your name kid?'_

'_Cohen' it was a reflex for him. He swallowed hard as he looked at the photo of the campus. This was his future. This was what he worked so hard for and why he walked two hours out of his way everyday. This is what Ezra would want. 'Sandy Cohen'_

Max and I had a whole conversation he told me about scholarships, my potential and what Berkeley had to offer.

'_Sandy you're the kind of student that Berkeley would be proud to have. The Admissions Board does owe me some favors I could….'_

'_I don't take hand outs. I'm not some charity case. If I'm going do it and I don't even know if I should but if so I am getting there on my own.'_

_Max nodded in approval and packed up his stuff. He stopped for a minute before he left the table._

'_Out of curiosity what would you major in.' this was the most interesting kid he had ever met while doing recruit. _

_Sandy shrugged shyly 'Law'_

'_Why'_

'_My family is shit, we live without shit, we grew up on shit and we are expected to become shit. Why should anyone have to live like that.' Max smiled and reached into his back pocket and handed a business card to Sandy. It read: Professor Maxwell Black, Berkeley School of Law. _

'_Welcome to Berkeley, Sandy'._

__Cliffhanger? I hope you guys are enjoying this as much as I am. I hope there are still OC Fanfiction readers out there. I am late to the OC Fanfiction as I was young when the OC originally aired and have only recently watched the whole series. (I was hooked! Took me a week to watch all four seasons). Anyways there will probably be about one or two more chapters in this series. I hope you guys enjoy it! Please review and or PM Me. Thanks!


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